


if the right one came along

by beatswords



Category: Power Rangers Ninja Steel
Genre: F/M, SO MUCH FLUFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-21 11:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9545486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatswords/pseuds/beatswords
Summary: The three times Sarah left Preston speechless and the one time he returned the favor.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Tense confusion per usual. This is fluff and short, but I had some inspo and wanted to contribute some content to the Ninja Steel tag here! I hope these two interact more. Anyways, enjoy!
> 
> Title is from "I've Got This Friend" by The Civil Wars.

A magician’s signature trick is what separates him from the rest.

For Preston, his trick had been given to him, never sought for, and was well accepted by the younger population of Summer Cove. At the ripe old age of sixteen, he had mastered the art of invisibility.

In a small town, reputations are formed quickly. Everyone had sort of established that Preston was the “magic kid whose family lives in the mansion on the hill.” He wore top hats and three piece suits to school, had trouble focusing in class, and was horrible at people skills. The best way to deal with someone who, so aggressively, stuck out in the beachy hum-drum town, was to ignore them—or that’s what had become that unanimous decision.

He quickly grew accustomed to people looking past him in the hallways, talking over him, and brushing his shoulder accidentally on the way to their other friends. He was the last to be picked for group projects or gym class, his table at lunch always empty. He had it better than most, in some strange way, because everyone knew who he was. They just didn’t care.

At home, it was no different. His parents were always off at galas or traveling, rarely ever leaving a note or voicemail so he could track their whereabouts. When they were there, the three of them suffered through painfully silent dinners for an hour to prove to themselves they were still a family. Preston preferred his solitude in moments like those.

Everything changed when Sarah came crashing into his life, _literally_.

He had been advertising for his magic show with minimal luck, when she came out of nowhere on her hoverboard. Preston believed in a lot of things, but fate wasn’t one of them. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder about their chance encounter afterwards.

She was new, which had a lot to do with it. In time, she would’ve fallen in with the masses, pretending she didn’t notice him because it was easier. But forces had brought them together on her very first morning at Summer Cove High.

It was then that she looked at him, in the eyes, and said she would come to his magic show. She saw him, in that moment, and unintentionally made him feel like a regular teenager. That feeling of normalcy lasted only until the end of the school day when they were reunited, rode off into the forest, and discovered that they were power rangers.

He meant it when he said everything changed. It’s not every day you’re told that you’re a superhero, especially the same day when you meet a cute girl who smiles at you and teaches you how to fist bump.

 

 

They spend almost every day together without planning to. It just happens.

Sarah’s parents are instantly welcoming, happy to see their daughter making friends so soon. Her little brother A.J. called him “cool” and had a million questions about his magic. They eat dinner together every night, with not a single pause in conversation. It’s the kind of family he’s seen in movies, except they’re real.

“I think my parents like you more than me,” Sarah confesses, one night when they’re supposed to be studying for their English test. Neither of them are good at literature and figure being study partners would help them tackle it together.

Preston looks over at her from his spot in the floor, to see her smirking from her bed. Her knees are propped up, with her textbook covering half her face, but he can still see it.

“What are you talking about? You’re their daughter,” He shrugs off, focusing back on his textbook. A smile forms on his face, however, ruining his nonchalance. Being liked was such a foreign feeling for him, but it was a feeling he enjoyed and wanted more of. “They’re probably just happy to have someone around who likes green bean casserole.”

“ _Tell_ me you were joking about that!” Sarah yells, throwing her pencil at him. It misses his head by an inch. He throws an eraser at her and she shrieks, holding her book up as a shield. They both laugh.

Her laugh is light and melodic. A sound he manages to never get sick of. Turns out having friends means laughing at anything and everything, no matter if you just finished.

Their laughter dies down naturally, a comfortable silence replacing it. Preston tries to focus on his text, but they’ve been at this for two hours now and his eyes are getting heavy.

Sarah’s the first to break. “I need to get up,” she exclaims, closing her book and climbing out of bed. She plops next to him and leans forward, her hand resting on his thigh comfortably. He notices, but tenses up almost instantly. She doesn’t seem to notice. “Let’s go out.”

“Go where?” He asks, setting his book down on the carpet beside him.

She shrugs. “Anywhere! Come on, all we do is go to school, go on missions, and study. Let’s do something fun.”

He looks over at the digital clock on her nightstand. “It’s half an hour to midnight, Sarah.” He should be heading home anyway, but the beauty of parents that are never around is there’s no such thing as curfews.

“So?” She counters, finally releasing her hand from his thigh and standing up. “I’ve been here for two weeks now and the only time I’ve explored is when we’re changing down monsters. I still haven’t even been to the beach yet.” She turned to him, her eyes pleading.

The next thing he knows, he’s saying yes, and they’re at the beach. It’s dark and freezing and there’s a breeze, but it’s also calming. They sit on the sand together, side by side, watching the tide change.

“Let’s go in,” Sarah chimes.

“You’re crazy, we’ll get sick.”

“So, you’re fine with putting your life in danger to defeat monsters, but you can’t handle a measly little cold?”

“Exactly.”

She laughs, yet again, her head falling against his shoulder. He knows he shouldn’t make a big deal out of every little touch, but he does, and he isn’t sure how he’s supposed to react. By the way she doesn’t move, he wonders if the best reaction is to just let it happen.

 

 

They’re eating lunch when Holly Danvers and Allison Roberts, two girls from the popular clique, approach them. While the rangers have become friends, they don’t see each other much during school. Brody was immediately swallowed up by the jocks and became semi-popular, while Hayley and Calvin typically eat off campus. That leaves Preston and Sarah at his usual table. Lunch flies by now that he’s no longer eating alone.

“Sarah, right?” Holly asks, smiling. “I’m having a party this weekend. You should come.” She reaches into her purse, pulling out an envelope and holding it out. She doesn’t look at Preston once, but he’s used to it.

Sarah takes it and smiles. “Aw, thanks.” As they walk off, Sarah lowers the envelope onto the table and picks up her pizza slice. “That was random…”

“Are you gonna go?”

“Only if you go with me.” She says it so casually, not even looking his way before taking a bite of her pizza. He’s relieved that he didn’t resume eating because he probably would’ve choked on his pizza and ruined it.

“Holly’s parties are usually invite only and, as you can see, I didn’t get one.” He says it matter-of-factly, no sense of sadness, because he’s not sad. He’s never been into parties anyway.

She pauses, processing this for a moment. “Well I can’t go without you. I don’t know anywhere here besides you and the rest of the gang. Plus, you’re like my best friend here.”

Best friend. Once again, he’s not sure what to do so he decides to do nothing. She doesn’t notice, yet again, and thus their dynamic continues to fall in place.

 

Holly’s house is packed, teens spilling out into the backyard and packed into every possible crevice. Preston only recognizes a few, which means that the invite list was extended to more than just Summer Cove.

He stays against the wall most of the night, only talking when Sarah pulls him into the conversation. He’s not sure why, since everyone flocks to her. She’s fresh blood, which is rare in small towns. She gets pulled away periodically, probably to take shots or meet other people. He almost leaves until he spots her looking for him.

It starts off with a subtle glance mid conversation, but when their eyes don’t meet she becomes more obvious. He realizes in that moment that he doesn’t want her as a friend. He never did.

Finally, she spots him and excuses herself, weaving through the crowd until they’re standing in front of each other.

“I thought you left!” She says immediately, giving him a small shove. “You scared me.”

He knew this would be the part where he would laugh and brush it off, but something about the way that she was earlier had struck with him. In a crowd of people, she saw him. He leaned in, kissing her. It only took a couple seconds before she kissed back.

In that moment, everything melted away. The music, the drunk teens around them, his constant anxiousness about affection. Being a power ranger meant putting himself outside of his comfort zone daily, but nothing was scarier—no, freeing—than this moment.

When they part, they’re both out of breath. She stares up at him, trying to speak, but out of words for the first time in their friendship. He slowly smiles. She does too. They stay like that, standing in the middle of the room smiling at each other, for what feels like forever.

If these are how high school parties are normally, he could get used to this.


End file.
